Multi-Grain Chinese Dumplings with Local Oyster Mushrooms

This month's Daring Cooks challenge is hosted by Jen of Use Real Butter. She selected chinese dumplings (or potstickers) and graciously shared a well-tested family recipe. Lots of wiggle room was given with this challenge in choosing the dough (NO pre-made wrappers!), the filling, and the cooking method (boil, steam or pan-fry). Jen's original recipe and very detailed instructions can be found here.

I knew I wanted to make a vegetarian filling. On an especially serendipitous trip to my farmer's market, I found these gorgeously-hued oyster mushrooms. Can you believe these are grown locally? In absolute pristine condition when I purchased them...unfortunately, they got crumpled a bit on my walk home from the market.

Another good find at the market, a stone-ground multigrain flour, informed my dough recipe. This wonderful flour from Jennings Bros. is a mixture buckwheat, spelt, and hard red spring wheat. (They don't just sell flour either. I'm looking forward to eventually trying each of their 5 different cornmeals including a Hopi Blue!)

The key to making a good dumpling is having a cohesive filling (achieved by finely mincing) and rolling a thin yet sturdy wrapper. This involves a bit of a time commitment, but the results are well worth it! Give it a try! Here is my adaptation:

mushroom filling:
4 cups napa cabbage leaves, minced, toss with salt, allow to drain in colander for 1 hr, then ring out excess moisture with a dish towel

1 cup oyster mushrooms, minced

1/4 cup dried black Chinese mushrooms, reconstituted and minced
1/4 cup shitake mushrooms, minced

1/4 cup minced leek

1/4 cup bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 cup ginger root, minced

2 Tbs red onion, minced

1 Tbs garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp corn starch

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups multi-grain flour
1/2 cup warm water
flour for work surface

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste
minced ginger
minced garlic
agave syrup

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the dough: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water.]

Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze for later use: Assemble uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.